Billie Burke. I'm watching Father's Little Dividends with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor. The mother-in-law's voice was so Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz that I had to google it. I was right! This old movie was a diversion from what I've really been watching all night: Anderson Cooper's coverage of New Orleans during these crucial hours of the storm. It now looks like Gustav is shifting west, so it might not be a direct hit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My toes, too.
My mom now has company, which makes me feel a little better. My very loquacious cousin is pacing around her place right now. I pity her. I envy him. I miss hurricane parties. They're just not parties anymore... not since Katrina. They used to be flickering flames from Saint candles, cans of Vienna sausage, dark skies, cool winds, populated porches, swinging screen doors, storytelling and reminiscing, and that sense of adventure because we were going to ride this one out. I miss my family. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.